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Fear

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

Fear

The world crumbles

again

and yet

all things must pass
there is nothing new under the sun
I remember his words
do not be afraid.
___________________________

This is my contribution to the 25 Words of Wisdom project from Liz Strauss.

(Photo, do u fear love, by ia7mad on Flickr.)

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What I Learned from Riding Trains in Europe

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

Image via WikipediaMany moons ago, I backpacked around Europe with a good college friend of mine. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I highly recommend it to any recent college grad. We traveled everywhere on passenger trains, and they became an integral part of the texture of the entire experience.

Bottom line lesson — America should build a better passenger rail system! Not only does train travel reduce gasoline expenditures, it offers other, perhaps even more important benefits.

Other lessons learned from riding trains

Slow down and see what you’re looking at. You know the adage, getting there is half the fun? It’s true. What a thrill it was wending through the Alps in Switzerland and chugging down the western coast of Italy. The scenery gives you a feel for the character and history of places and people, much more than you get dashing from one monument to another. (more…)

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Do You Wish You Were Here?

Tuesday, June 24th, 2008

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeJoanna Young at Confident Writing has been exploring the topic of purposeful questions this month. Her discussion includes a group project asking for examples of questions in poems that have had a powerful impact on us.

I’m not much of a poetry buff, but music and rock lyrics … . In 1975 Pink Floyd released a groundbreaking, haunting, record album (a big black round thing) called Wish You Were Here. Its title cut kicks off with a series of penetrating questions that have stuck in my head for 33 years, and counting.

Do these magnificent questions speak to you, too? How do you respond to them? (more…)

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What I Learned From Mother Robin

Friday, June 13th, 2008

When I was a young boy, our family lived in a cozy, red brick house with white shutters in a small and sleepy Midwestern town. Summer was my favorite time of year. At bedtime, which was right around dusk, my mother would throw open my bedroom window, and I’d fall asleep listening to the rustling leaves of the giant maple tree just outside.

Our neighborhood was full of kids about my own age. In the summertime we’d squeeze every moment out of the day playing together, getting into as much trouble as grade school children could. The back yards we’d cut through were an enormous, tiger-infested jungle. For our secret fort, we used the (completely off limits) attic in our detached garage. We would capture lightning bugs in jars and set elaborate traps for rabbits (I don’t remember ever catching one). We’d dare the youngest in our group to ring the doorbell of the creepy old man on the corner who always wore overalls and walked with an exaggerated limp. (more…)

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What I Learned from Shooting a Muskrat

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008

Here’s a funny story with a serious lesson.

A long time ago my friend Bryan and I were camping out on his parent’s farm in northern Indiana. Bryan was something of a gun collector, and when we were down there we’d shoot at targets with his various rifles and handguns. On this particular occasion we had a .22 rifle, but hadn’t bothered to use it; we were having too much fun grilling chicken, drinking beer, and solving life’s problems.

The next day we’re traipsing back to the farmhouse, following a muddy, near stagnant creek that wound through the corn fields. All of a sudden Bryan spots this fat, brown muskrat swimming fast upstream. It was maybe 50, 75 yards away. Now, Bryan’s a country boy and thinks nothing of taking pot shots at the local critters. As a city boy, I find it kind of strange - I had never shot an animal and couldn’t think of a reason why someone would want to. (more…)

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Word Sell Wecognizes Wascally Wabbit Wizard

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and a host of other unforgettable cartoon characters, was born on this day in 1908. Any lover of words and language who has a sense of humor will have a tender spot in his or her heart for this grand master of cartoon communication. If you have 8 minutes to spare, check out this Mel Blanc tour de force.

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Another Story about Falling Down Mountains

Friday, May 23rd, 2008

You all seemed to enjoy my story about falling down a mountain, in fact, it brought back some memories of your own falls which you were kind enough to share. Your comments made for some entertaining reading, for sure!

Anyway, when you live in Colorado as I did, you usually wind up with more than one story about falling down a mountain. Well, I’ve got several, so I think I’ll run a series. Do these stories have any connection to small business sales and marketing? Well, if it’s good business to get up after you stumble, consider these posts teaching by example.

SKI - DADDY!

When I was in high school, I should not have been allowed on the ski slopes. I was a football player with a deadly combination of physical attributes — I was big (240 lbs), strong, and clumsy. This can be a problem on skis, as you will see. (more…)

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Happy Birthday, Bernie Taupin

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

Bernie Taupin writes lyrics for Elton John. They cranked out an astounding number of unforgettable pop tunes during the ’70’s and ’80’s that still sound great today. Taupin’s lyrics tended to be a little surreal and idiosyncratic, but boy, there were times when he could touch your heart. Take Your Song, Elton John’s breakthrough hit in the U.S.

Words for Nerd Update - Glower
Word Sell readers have the vocab mojo. 90% knew (or guessed) that glower means to stare at with annoyance or anger. How do you like the new survey format?

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Happy Birthday, Robert Zemeckis

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

(UPDATE: thanks to Captain Obvious I have his name right now.) Today film director ~~Roger~~Robert Zemeckis celeberates his 57th birthday. This brilliant filmmaker (and Chicago native) is best known for blockbuster hits including The Polar Express, Cast Away, and Forest Gump. My favorite Zemeckis film is Used Cars, which was made way back in 1980. Starring Kurt Russell and Jack Warden (in a dual role), it is quite possibly the funniest film ever made. (more…)

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Happy Birthday, George Carlin

Monday, May 12th, 2008

George Carlin, one of the great observers of language and words is celebrating a birthday today. Enjoy this 10-minute, hilarious examination of language as it (mis)applies to airplanes! (Including some off color language, so be advised.)